Chair.



No. 759,059. PATBNTED MAY 3, 1904. G. ARNOLD.

CHAIR.

APPLIOATION FILED DBO. 11. 1903.

N0 MODEL. 2 BHEBTS-SHEET 1 WITNESSES. INVENTOR.

7 74a BY I ATTORNEY.

PATENTED MAY 3, 1904.

U. ARNOLD.

CHAIR.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. 11.1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 N0 MODEL.

1NVNTOR A TTORNE Y.

WITNESSES:

Patented May 3, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES ARNOLD, OF NEWV YORK, N. Y.

CHAIR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 759,059, dated May 3, 1904. Application filed December 11, 1903. Serial No. 184,761. (No model.)

To (ii/l5 whom it may concern: I v 7 Be it known that 1, CHARLES ARNOLD, of

the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Chair, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

Myinvention relates to improvements in chairs; and the object of my invention is to produce a simple and conveniently-operatecl combination-chair which serves normally as an ordinary rocking-chair, which can, how ever, be converted easily into astationary chair, which has also a means forconverting it into a reclining-chair, and, further, to produce means for shifting the position of the chair while the operator is seated. therein.

With these ends in view my invention consists of certain features of construction and combinations of parts, which willvbe hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters and figures of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the Figure 1 is a perspective view of the chair embodying my invention, the chair being shown in normal position adapted for use as a rocker. Fig. 2 is aside elevation, of the chair with some of its different positions indicated by dotted lines. Fig. 3 is adetail of the locking-arm used to support the chair in a fixed position. Fig. 4 is a detail side elevation of the structure shown .in Fig. 3, andFig. 5 is a cross-section on the line 5 5 of Fig. 2 through one of the chair-posts. I

The chair 10 is in the main like an ordinary rocking-chair and can be made in any usual style and has the customary rockers 11. The posts 12 of the chair are hollow, however, and each carries a slide-rod 13, shown extended in dotted lines in Fig. 2 and in section in Fig. 1, this rod being adapted to be pushed down, so as to tilt back the chair and convert it into a reclining-chair.

The upper portion of each chair-post 12 is slotted longitudinally, as shown at 12 in Fig. 1, and a rivet or button 1d extends through the slot and connects with the rod 13, which when pushed downward forms an extension of the front posts or legs of the chair. The rivet or button 14 also connects with the arm 15, the connection being a sliding one to provide for the necessary freedom of movement, and this arm 15 is pivotally connected, as shown at 16, to the operating-lever 17 and is also pivoted, shown at 18, to the bracket 19, which is fixed to the chair-bottom and has its front portion formed into a semicircular ferrule 19, which clasps the post 12 and makes a firm connection therewith.

I am describing mechanism on one side of the chair; but it will be seen in Fig. 1 that the mechanism on the two sides areduplicates, and a description of one side therefore answers for both.

The operating lever or handle 17 terminates at its free end in a hand-grip 17 and at its front end the handle or lever is pivoted, as

shown at 20, to a forward extension of the bracket 19; but obviously the lever may be pivotally supported in any convenient way. The bracket 19 has its rear edge curved and formed into a toothed segment 21. which is adapted to engage the latch 22, which is pivoted, as shown at 23, on the main lever 17 and has an extension 2 1, which forms a part of the handle-grip and which when tilted or pressed down releases the latch and permits the swinging of the lever. The latch is normally held in engagement with the segment by a spring 25; but other means than that shown can be used for fastening the lever or handle in position without affecting the invention.

Extending downward from the handle or lever 17 areconnecting-rods 26 and 27, which project through a slot 28 in the chair-bottom and, as shown, are bent inward beneath the chair-bottom, as at 29, though the particular direction and shape of these rods will vary with different styles of chairs. Of these rods the rear one, 26, is pivoted, as shown at 30, t0 the short-arm 31 of a bell-crank, which is pivoted on the shaft or rod 32, and this extends transversely' beneath the chair and is supported in suitable hangers 33. The long arm 34 of the bell-crank extends downward to a point near the rocker 11 and is pivotally connected to a rod 35, which extends rearward and is pivoted to the locking-arm 36, which lies normally at nearly right anglesto the rocker 11 and is intended when forced to a vertical position and pushed back to engage the floor and prevent the rocker from rocking. The locking-arm 36 is guided on the rod or track 37, which extends essentially parallel with the back part of the rocker and is bent down at its rear end, as shown at 38, and fastened to the rocker and at its front end is bent up sharply, as shown at 39, and fastened to the rear leg of the chair. The locking-arm 36 can be guided in any suitable way, so as to slide on the track 37; but I'prefer the arrangement shown in Figs. 2 and 3, where the arm has opposite its upper end a triangular plate 40, between which and the arm are heldthe triangularly-disposed rollers 41, which engage the track from above and below and which prevent the arm 36 from unduly rocking.

At the lower end of the arm 36 is pivoted a roller 42, which is adapted to come in contact with the floor. The'roller 42 is adjusted up and down on the arm 36, as shown at 42 in Fig. 1. It will be seen that by moving the handle or lever 17 up or down the bell-crank 31 34 can be tilted and the locking-arm 36 moved forward or back. If the lever 17 is raised, the bell-crank 31 34 pulls the arm 36 forward, causing it to ride up the part 39 of the track 37 out of contact with the floor, so that the chair can be used as an ordinary rocking-chair, while if the lever is depressed the opposite movement takes place and the arm 36 is pushed back on the track'37 to the position shown by dotted lines in Fig.2, thus throwing the chair forward to practically the position assumed by the ordinary stationary chair, and the rocker is prevented from rocking.

Each forward rod 27, which extends downward from its lever or handle 17 connects with the short arm 43 of a bell-crank, which is pivoted on a cross-rod 44, suspended from the chair-bottom by hangers 45. The long arm 46 of the bell-crank extends downward and connects, by means of a rod 47, with one side of the foot-rest 48, which hangs below the front of the chair-bottom and has ears 49 extending upward and pivoted, as shown at 50 in Fig. 2, to the chair-bottom. It .will be seen, therefore, that by depressing the rods 29 the bell-cranks 43 46 are tilted and the rods 47 pushed forward, so as to swing outward and upward the lower part of the rest 48, and the extent to which the foot-rest is raised depends, of course, on the extent to which the levers or handles 17 a're depressed. It will be seen, therefore, from the foregoing description that by depressing the handle 17 to a limited extent both the forward and rear bellcranks are tilted, the locking-arm 36 is pushed back, and the foot-rest 48 is swung forward.

If the movement is not too great, the chair will simply assume a stationary. position; but if the movement is continued further the chair is swung backward further, owing to the greater depression of the rods 13 in the chair posts or legs, and the foot-rest is swung forward, so that the legs can lie thereon. Thus it is possible for the chair occupant to grasp the handles 17, regulate the latch 22, and adjust the chair to suit his convenience without taking the pains to get up. The chair therefore serves the purpose of a stationary chair, a rocking-chair, or a reclining-chair.

Obviously the detail mechanism for actuating these parts can be varied considerably without departing from the principle of my invention, and I do not limit myself to the precise construction shown.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination with a rocking-chair, of locking-arms sli dable along the chair-rockers, and a lever mechanism for adjusting the arms so as to permit the chair to rock or to prevent it from rocking.

2. The combination with the rocking-chair, of the tracks on the rear portion of the rockers, the said tracks having an upturned bend near their forward ends, and locking-arms slidable on the said tracks, the said arms having their lower ends adapted to contact with the floor.

3. The combination with a rocking-chair and the tracks on the chair, said tracks having their forward ends upwardly inclined, of the locking-arms held to slide on the tracks, and a lever mechanism for adjusting the arms.

4. The combination with a rocking-chair, of extensible posts adapted to move downward below the front portions of the chair-rockers, locking devices on the rear parts of the rockers to prevent their rocking, a pair of levers or handles supported on the chair, means for fixing the position of the handles or levers, and an operative connection between the handles or levers and the extensible posts and locking devices, whereby the said extensible posts and locking devices may be simultaneously adjusted by the said handles or levers.

5. The combination with a rocking-chair having hollow posts, of the extensible posts or slide-rods held in the hollow posts, levers pivotally supported on the chair to adjust the said slide-rods, locking-arms movable on the rear parts of the'rockers to prevent the chair from rocking, and an operative connection between the handles and the locking-arms whereby the latter may be moved simultaneously with the above-mentioned slide-rods. CHARLES ARNOLD. Witnesses:

W. B. HUTCHINSON, J. G. DUNBAR.

IIO

IIS 

